


Slow Drip

by itbeajen



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Modern AU, One Shot, Reader Insert, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-30 18:31:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13957473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itbeajen/pseuds/itbeajen
Summary: You showed no interest him, just the coffee. So he learned. He learned to make the one thing you love the most so you could be interested in him too.





	Slow Drip

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Magi or any characters that are mentioned. I am not making any profit from this fic and I write purely for the love of the characters. Magi is the property of Shinobu Ohtaka.

Cafe Sindria was known for two things, their coffee and the co-owner, Sinbad.

Their coffee was the best in the entire vicinity. It could be strong enough to kick your entire system awake, or it could be light and flavorful, teasing at your taste buds while satisfying your craving for coffee. Ja’far was talented at it, and it seemed as though his talent and skills were spread to all the baristas there. The coffee never failed to disappoint their customers, and regulars were always filtering in throughout the day.

Sinbad though? A completely different story.

As the co-owner and one of the waiters for Cafe Sindria, his appearance alone attracts the people in. There are many regulars who admit to walking in to appreciate Sinbad’s stunning visuals, only to end up staying for Ja’far’s amazing coffee. Though that’s not to say that Sinbad doesn’t play a part in bringing in and keeping customers. His easy-going personality and natural friendliness makes it hard for customers to not feel welcome in the small cozy cafe.

Every regular would agree that Sinbad’s popularity and Ja’far’s coffee were a match-made in heaven, but for you? It was simply the coffee.

***

Your first experience with Cafe Sindria was when you were offered a sip of the coffee from your friend. Yamraiha loved the place, it was her go to study place and she absolutely enjoyed the atmosphere there. Sure, Sinbad may have been a bit too friendly the first few times she went, but she vouches that the cafe would be easily become one of your favorites.

And here you were, hesitating outside the two mahogany cased glass doors. The Cafe Sindria logo was neatly engraved into the glass and you couldn’t help but appreciate the choice of wood for the framework and the natural botanical life that dangled outside and inside the cafe.

The jingle of the bell signalled a new customer, and considering it was still early, the only ones there to greet you were two white haired males. The waiter with slightly longer hair gives you a friendly and bright smile before greeting, “Welcome to Cafe Sindria!”

“G-Good morning,” you managed. It was still too early for you to properly communicate, and your vocal chords haven’t been used yet so you frowned at the hiccup in your words. He chuckled lightly and asked, “How can we help you today? Would you be dining in or just here for some coffee?”

“Ah,” you glanced at the menu and the shorter of the two males that stood behind the bar softly smiled and added, “If you’d like any recommendations we’re glad to help.”

You hummed lightly in acknowledgement and you asked, “Is it okay to just take a table first?’

“Feel free,” he responded and glanced to the waiter, “Sharrkan, please get her seated.”

“Sure thing, Ja’far,” Sharrkan smiled and gestured for you to follow, “I’ll be helping you today if you don’t mind.”

“Ah, not at all,” you answered. His smile was rather cheerful and bright, almost contagiously so. You withheld your laughter and he asked, “First time here?”

You nodded, “My friend recommended it to me.”

“S’at so?” Sharrkan pulled out a chair for you and with one last bow he smiled, “Take your time, and feel free to flag me down as soon as you’re ready. My name is Sharrkan and I’m glad to be your server today, beautiful.”

He sent you a wink, and though you were externally smiling, you couldn’t help but feel mildly disturbed by how easily he had done that. It was a bit too carefree and a bit too sleazy in a sense. But regardless of his slightly flirtatious attitude, you found yourself falling in love with the sheer atmosphere of the cafe.

The waiter was kind and willing to help. The owner himself is working on the drinks, calculatingly checking each slow drip and every machine they had equipped to make sure they were at peak performance. Each table is clean and neatly adorned with a small glass bottle with marbles of all colors reflecting the ample amount of sunlight. You smiled and glanced around. The light brown wooden walls were illuminated softly with a tinge of yellow with the lamps that hung over each table. You leaned against the back of the cushioned chair and mumbled, “This is so cozy.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

The rich baritone voice distracts you from your thoughts and you glanced away from the interior design to come face to face with a rather attractive young man. His purple hair was neatly tied back in a ponytail and he bowed slightly before gracing you with a bright smile, “My name is Sinbad, co-owner of Cafe Sindria. I’ve heard Sharrkan was taking care of your orders, but seeing as your table is still rather wanting, I’d be honored to help someone as lovely as you.”

Your eyes widened slightly at the title. _Co-owner.. Huh? I wonder if all of them are good with words considering how I felt my heart skip a beat a second there._ You gave him a small smile and asked, “What would you recommend, Mister Sinbad?”

“Just Sinbad is fine,” he chuckled. He took a step closer and knelt down to eye level as he skimmed the menu. There’s a slight hum of consideration as he perused the menu and he asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you looking for?”

“Hmm,” you pondered slightly, not taking notice of how Sinbad’s gaze has settled on your features. He was… strangely intrigued. It was probably the first time since he’s opened the cafe that someone of the opposite gender had shown no interest in him. Your eyes showed no signs of appreciation of his appeal, but instead seemed to have only sparkled with slight interest and surprise on hearing his position.

“Something light, not too sweet and not too heavy on caffeine,” you answered with a small smile. You finally made eye contact with him, and you found yourself surprised to see him so intrigued by you. His eyes widened ever so slightly upon being caught red-handed and he smiled, “My apologies. You were so into thought I couldn’t help but appreciate the way the sunlight framed your features.”

“Is that so?” you mumbled and he repeated, “So something light, you say?”

“Yes.”

“How about a rose latte?”

Your gaze swept the menu until you found the item and he added, “It’s a popular choice among many of our regulars. I can guarantee its taste will be light and flavorful.”

“I’ll take it then,” you sang out as you handed him the menu. He smiled and asked, “Would you like any snacks to go with your rose latte?”

“No, thank you.”

He gave you one last bow and immediately made his way over to the counter. Ja’far sent Sinbad a quick glance and Sinbad answered, “A rose latte.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Sinbad repeated and smiled, “It’s her first time here.”

“I can tell,” Ja’far answered as he got to work. Sinbad glanced over to you, only to see you fascinated by Ja’far’s craftsmanship. Sinbad raised an eyebrow and Ja’far asked, “What is it?”

“No, it’s just… just interesting,” he finished. He was intrigued by the way you had settled yourself so quickly. Your laptop laid out before you, but your gaze was fixated on the way Ja’far had expertly began brewing your drink. An appreciative smile flickered across your features as you watched with interest and Sinbad couldn’t help but chuckle ever so lightly.

How amusing it was, to find a customer that was actually here for the coffee. Ja’far finished the latte, topping it off with latte art depicting a dolphin leaping out of the waves. Sinbad’s smile brightened and he whistled, “You truly are a master, Ja’far.”

“But of course, Sin. Do you want to, or should Sharr-”

“I’ll do it,” Sinbad answered eagerly as he made his way over to you with your drink. As he approached, he heard your typing slow down as he approached and you looked up with eagerness. He smiled politely and announced, “One rose latte for you, ma’am.”

Your eyes widened at the latte art and you heard a small gasp of disbelief leave your own lips. A faint blush tinged your cheeks and you gently turned the cup until it faced you and you smiled, “How adorable.”

“Ja’far brewed the coffee and drew the latte art,” Sinbad explained briefly as he watched you angle your laptop and coffee drink for the perfect picture. With much expertise, you finished taking the social media worth shot before directing your phone towards Sinbad. His eyes widened ever so slightly and you snapped a shot of his slightly surprised expression. He frowned and asked, “Wait, wait a minute! I wasn’t ready for that!”

“That’s fine,” you laughed as you clicked the send button. He frowned and you smiled, “It’s for my friend who introduced me to this place, only she’ll see it so calm down, hot shot.”

 _Hot shot?_ Sinbad furrowed his eyebrows ever so slightly, but he was distracted by the content sigh and the soft smile on your features as you softly sang, “This is **perfect**.”

***

Over the span of a month, you’ve become a regular. Though you were hesitant to stray from the rose latte, you slowly began to trust Sinbad’s taste as he somehow learned to guess what you wanted simply from the way you carried yourself. Your arm was hooked around Yamraiha’s and you added, “He’s more than just a pretty boy, Yamu.”

“I’m surprised you think he’s interesting,” Yamraiha countered as you unhooked your arm from hers to open the door for her. You followed behind her, the jingling of the bell catching the attention of the workers in Cafe Sindria. Ja’far sent you a smile from behind the counter and Sharrkan sidled up immediately and teased, “Here for more, Yamraiha?”

“Not for you if that’s what you’re thinking,” she huffed as she pushed him away not so lightly. He stumbled and you chuckled before nodding your head towards Sharrkan. He smiled and asked, “Same old?”

“For me, yes, what about you, [Name]?” Yamu asked as she lead you over to an empty table. You glanced up at the menu and before you could browse through their weekly specialty, the ever familiar low baritone cut through your thoughts.

“How about an earl grey creme?”

Yamraiha started slightly and you chuckled before glancing back and asked, “I thought you told me to try to black charcoal next time I was here.”

“Ah, that’s right. I did, didn’t I?” Sinbad asked as he approached you. He inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement of Yamraiha and teasingly asked, “I didn’t know you two beautiful ladies were acquainted with each other.”

“Maybe if you listened to me when I talked to you last time, you’d have remembered,” you retorted with a smug grin. Sinbad’s smile faltered and Yamraiha and Sharrkan stifled a laughter at the interaction. He regained composure and you walked up to the bar, completely ignoring Sinbad.

“Ja’far.”

“How can I help you, [Name]?” he asked as he finished making the remaining orders. He walked over to the cashier and leaned on it ever so slightly and you smiled, “What do you recommend?”

“Anything Sin hasn’t recommended to you?” he teased. Ja’far cast a knowing glance at his co-founder and the latter averted his gaze with a slight huff. Sinbad walked away after seating Yamraiha to another table and you glanced back and asked, “Is he in a bad mood today?”

“No, I’m sure he’s just throwing a fit as usual,” Ja’far laughed lightly. He glanced at the menu and back at you and asked, “Would you like an iced honey latte? It’s something new, it still has a strong taste of coffee though.”

“Mm, sounds really good,” you hummed and Ja’far smiled, “It is, though if I must add, I would like to say all the coffee I brew is adequate for serving.”

You chuckled, “You’re far too modest, Ja’far. You’re far better than anyone else I’ve seen. Though I do wonder why that co-owner of yours doesn’t help out.”

Ja’far’s expression dropped and you asked, “Did I.. say something wrong?”

“Ah, no… no, not at all,” he managed to answer. He sighed and muttered, “Sinbad’s atrocious at making coffee. He broke the very first coffee machine we ever bought. No idea how though.” Ja’far let out a tired sigh and a wry smile tugs at his lips, “But that’s why I make all the coffee. Though don’t tell Sinbad I said that.”

Your eyes widened and you glanced back. **That** Sinbad didn’t know how to make coffee? It surprised you, really. After all, Sinbad makes himself to be someone who always seems to know what he’s doing. Someone who is skilled at everything, but…

Your gaze shifted away from him and back to Ja’far. You held back a chuckle as you handed him the money. _I guess our resident pretty boy is still human after all._

You slowly made your way back to the table Yamraiha had gotten, and you weren’t surprised to see Sharrkan fussing over her. As soon as you were in her range of vision, she flushed pink and whispered something to Sharrkan who, equally as red, huffed before leaving Yamraiha with a soft smile. You took a seat and you teased, “Aren’t you _cute_?”

“[Name]!” she whined and then pouted. It was adorable teasing her and you chuckled, “My apologies.”

“You’re in a good mood today,” she noted and the sly grin on your lips was unmistakable. She narrowed her eyes and asked, “What are you up to?”

“Oh, _nothing_ ,” you sang out. The footsteps of an approaching waiter catches your attention, and upon seeing the man you were looking for, you shot Sinbad a friendly smile to which he returned earnestly. He placed Yamraiha’s coffee down and asked, “Did something good happen?”

“I heard a really juicy secret,” you taunted. Yamraiha sipped on her coffee, but leaned forward and asked, “About who?”

“About a certain someone here that doesn’t know how to make coffee,” you teased. Sinbad’s expression grew stiff and you sighed, “Ahh, I really thought this person was the epitome of perfection too. Good looks, polite, kind, and always responsive to his customers; imagine **my** surprise when I heard he can’t even make a cup of coffee.”

“Oh my,” Yamraiha smiled knowingly at you. She exchanged a glance with you and you shook your head fondly and glanced at Sinbad, “Do you perhaps know who I’m talking about?”

He knelt down slowly to reach your eye level and when he finally looked up at you, you were surprised to see the panic in his eyes.

“[Name], I beg of you, please don’t tell anyone else! I can’t tarnish this cafe’s reputation!” he said in a hushed voice. It was strained with fear and peels of giggles left your lips before you managed to calm down. You managed to catch your breath and you answered, “I was just teasing, Sinbad.”

“Eh?”

“You mentioned it before in passing that you weren’t that great, but I didn’t quite believe you. After all, it’s a cup of coffee, how bad could it have been? But I mean… if Ja’far is unwilling to let you back in…” you paused. He could practically feel your curiosity radiating from you and you asked, “How bad is it really?”

Sinbad hesitated and you tilted your head ever so slightly and asked, “It can’t be that bad, right?”

“I mean…” Sinbad sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and he awkwardly laughed, “Maybe I should just let you try it yourself.”

“Sure.”

What. Sinbad’s eyes widened and you pouted, “What’s with that expression? You asked me to try it, what kind of friend am I if I don’t even do that?”

“But, but.. But I suck, [Name].”

“Yeah, but you can’t improve if you don’t try, silly.”

You glanced at your bullet journal and smiled, “How about next Friday? I don’t have work so I can come in before you guys open.”

“I, uhm… you know, are you.. Are you sure you really want to do this?”

“Oh please, it really can’t be that bad.”

***

“Ja’far, please, I rarely ever ask you for favors-”

“You asked me one last week.”

“ **Please** ,” Sinbad pleaded and bowed at Ja’far, shocking his friend. “Just this once, please teach me how to make coffee!”

Ja’far hesitated, but he had heard the earnesty and sincerity in his friend’s voice. He sighed and asked, “What got into you?”

Sinbad straightened up and he sighed, “It’s just…”

He found his voice trailing off. _I just want to impress [Name]._ His eyes widened and Ja’far smirked, “Did you come to a realization?”

Sinbad averted his gaze, but the flush of pink on his cheeks was obvious. Ja’far chuckled and teased, “Ah, youth. It’s been a while for you, hasn’t it?”

His cheeks turned a darker shade of red and he shouted, “D-Don’t bring up my age! I’m not even that old!”

“Sure,” Ja’far laughed and casually added, “It’s been a while since you’ve been this bold in pursuing a love interest though. Don’t let it end like your-”

“NOOOO!!! Don’t bring those up!!”

***

Sinbad glanced up in slight fear upon hearing the faint knocks on the door. His gaze met yours and you smiled as Masrur let you in. You thanked the tall and mostly quiet man before making your way over to the island bar counter. You took a seat in the tall leather stools and asked, “How went practicing?”

“Well, I certainly reminded Ja’far the reasons why I’m not allowed behind the bar,” he weakly chuckled and you glanced at the mess he made. A small smile tugs at the corners of your lips and you stated, “You can’t get better without practice.”

“Yes, but he can do without destroying the system I’ve created here,” Ja’far huffed as he came out of the kitchen to clean up Sinbad’s mess. Sinbad winced slightly and you laughed, “Come on, let’s see this horrible coffee of yours.”

It was a simple cup of coffee, just roasted coffee with some creamer and sugar. Sinbad’s entire being was filled with nervous energy as he tried to calm himself down. _It’s just one cup of coffee. [Name] won’t hate me if I messed up, right? Right?_ His fists were clenched tightly and as you brought the cup towards you, you took in a deep breath. It still smelled wonderful, but you wouldn’t know until you tried it.

It was… coffee, or rather. _This is supposed to be coffee right?_ You furrowed your brow and narrowed your eyes at the offending cup of liquid. It was a disgrace to call it coffee, but it wasn’t quite anything else either. It oddly tasted like coffee, yet at the same time, wasn’t quite coffee. You hummed in contemplation and Sinbad felt his hands grow clammy and moist as he waited for your response.

The only sound in the room outside of your soft hum was the loud ticking of the grandfather clock. Though it was only a minute at most, it felt like eternity for him. He couldn’t help but glance at you and to the cup and you mumbled, “This taste..”

“Yes?!” he leaned forward, surprising you. _He’s so.. Close._ Your eyes widened before you gently flick his forehead away from your face and he whined a bit. You give him a small smile and you continued, “It doesn’t really taste like coffee, but it doesn’t really taste like… anything else I’m familiar with.”

You glanced up to see his shoulders slump and he mumbled, “I knew it’d suck.”

“It’s not horrendous, but you know, you could do better if you practiced,” you tried to console his hurt ego. But he was full on sighing and pouting and he whined, “I just wanted to make you good coffee.”

“Me?” you asked. Sinbad nodded and he leaned forward just slightly on the counter and asked, “Has it never occurred to you why I would try so hard?”

“There’s nothing wrong with self-improvement,” you countered. You set the cup to the side and leaned forward to match his gaze and you teased, “So? What was the reason?”

He leaned away, clearly flustered by your boldness. He cleared his throat and answered, “I wanted to make you coffee.”

“Mhm.”

“Whenever you drank Ja’far’s coffee you had such a blissful expression on your face. I wanted to be the one to give that to you,” he admitted with a sigh. He glanced away momentarily, as though to collect his thoughts. _Just talking to you isn’t enough anymore. Is it bad that I just want to keep you to myself?_ His gaze returned to meet yours, and he’s surprised to see a faint blush dusting your cheeks. You licked your lips and asked, “What are you implying, Sinbad?”

“I am. No, I… I have **been** interested in you, [Name].”

 _What?_ Your eyes widened, and before you could say anything, he continued, “But I don’t want to rush this. I… I know you aren’t interested in me in that aspect, but I can’t just stand here and do nothing about these feelings. I get jealous whenever you drink Ja’far’s coffee. And Ja’far knows how much I hate it when I can’t be the person serving you.”

 _So that’s why Sinbad is always extra talkative those days_. Your memory vaguely reminded you of those times. Those days spend studying in the coffee shop only to have a newly refilled cup of coffee or tea, courtesy of Sinbad. You ducked your face slighlty so he didn’t see the effect his words had on you. _Sinbad likes me? Me? I never even considered him, but…_ You peeked at him and he gives you a rare genuine smile. _I’ve never seen such an honest smile on his face._ Your hand subconsciously reached out to touch his cheek, and upon realizing what you did, both of you are a dark shade of red as you literally jolted out of your seat and away from him.

 _What did I just do?!_ You glanced back at him, and there’s a silly smile on his face and you burst into laughter, “You look ridiculous.”

It was contagious, the way you didn’t hold back at all. Your laughter was free, so unrestrained and so full of joy; and he took pride that it was because of him. He smiled and then commented, “And you look beautiful.”

Your laughter slowly dissipated and there’s a small teasing grin on your lips when you approach the counter again. You lean against it, opting to stand instead of sitting and you asked, “Were you speaking the truth?”

“I am,” Sinbad answered. He placed a hand over his heart and stated, “Not once have I ever lied to you.”

“That’s a bold statement,” you answered with a slight hum. Sinbad was waiting. He had essentially asked you for permission to let him court you. For him to sweep you off your feet and fall irrevocably in love with him. Your humming was pleasant to the ear, but it also caused Sinbad’s heart to beat far faster than it should be allowed to. You picked up your purse and you mumbled, “You better make a better cup of coffee than Ja’far.”

“Huh?”

“Keep practicing, Sinbad,” you elaborated. You gave him a quick glance, and he feels his breath hitch upon seeing the gentle and fond smile on your lips matched with the endearing pink flush of your cheeks. “Keep practicing on making a good cup of coffee, and I’ll.. I will…” you hesitated and looked away, “I’ll be there every cup of the way.”

His eyes widened and he shouted, “Does this mean-”

“Yes, you fool,” you retorted quickly. He couldn’t see your face, but the tips of your ears were red and he chuckled before softly calling out, “Have a good day at work, [Name].”

“You… you’re so-” you lost your voice though when you turned back to look at him. The loving gaze in his eyes caused your words to die at the tip of your tongue and you muttered, “You… You better make a good cup of coffee for me.”

He watched your retreating silhouette as you continued down the sidewalk and as soon as you were out of sight, he fist pumped eagerly into the air. A sly chuckle is heard from across the room and Ja’far teased, “Oh young love.”

“I’m not even that old, Ja’far!”

“Sure.”

“And damn it, were you here this entire time?!”

“Who knows.”

***

“Good morning, sunshine.”

His breath tickled your ear and you instinctively threw your blanket over your head to avoid him. But the low chuckle and the sudden chill against your back made it obvious that he was clearly coming for you. His arms wrapped around your waist as he pulled you against him. His lips were against your neck, leaving small butterfly kisses and he lowly mumbled against your skin, “You should wake up, [Name]. Or who knows what I’ll do to wake you up.”

“Sin, it’s like 9 am.”

“Yes, you slept in an extra hour already,” he responded as he teased your waist with small circular rubs. You shivered and stretched slightly before wriggling around to face him. You were still groggy, but you can still make out his handsome features as he smiled at your sleepiness.

“You’re so cute.”

“Sin, we’re too old to be called cute.”

He frowned, “You’re never too old to be called cute.”

“Sure,” you drawled. You sat up and asked, “Did you make coffee?”

“I always make you coffee, after all, I’m your personal coffee master.”

“Mm, Ja’far’s are still-”

But he doesn’t hear the rest of it as he cuts you off with a kiss. His hands gently cup your cheek before he pulled away and he teased, “You were saying, my love?”

“ _Forget it_ ,” you shook your head fondly and gently nuzzled his nose. Though he knew it was only a joke, he never wants to hear you say his coffee is bad ever again. And if you don’t believe him now, well that’s fine. He wrapped his arms around you and pressed another kiss to your forehead.

He had the rest of your lives together to prove you wrong every morning.

**Author's Note:**

> My friend and I had an entire outline of random headcanons, but instead of incorporating all of them I kind of picked and chose the ones that flowed nicely into the story without it sounding like I forced it in.


End file.
